Common Sense
by Bowles
Summary: “These are the times that try men's souls.” Kitty reflects on her relationship with Lance and makes a decision. [Post–Evo]


Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of the characters that appear in the show. This is not for a profit. I'm making no money off of this, etc, etc, etc. All characters in the show belong to Marvel, and once again, I don't own X-Men: Evolution. (If anyone sues me after _that_, the universe will self-implode.)

Common Sense

"Grimmons! Ferrell! Cut it out!"

"Yes, Mr. Holmes."

Kitty didn't have to look to know they hadn't stopped whatever they were doing; by now, it was just a given. Even Holmes seemed to be resigned to this, as he did not offer them another glance, instead concentrating his attentions on the chalkboard.

"Now, I trust you've all read your assignment?" Several people nodded, including her, but the majority of the class just stared ahead carelessly. "Of course. This is second period. You never do your homework."

He muttered to himself under his breath as he picked up the chalk and wrote two words in capital letters:

_COMMON SENSE_

"Well, you all know the author, at least?"

Several students even raised their heads to respond in dull voices, "Thomas Paine."

"Right." He wrote the name in big blocky letters beneath the title. "Paine was an interesting character, actually. He was born in Thetford in 1737 to poor parents; his wife would die when he was twenty-three. He worked a variety of odd jobs here and there, never really settling down. In 1768 Samuel Ollive would introduce him to the Society of Twelve, which would get him involved for the first time in civil matters."

Holmes paused. "Would I be correct in assuming that you are all taking notes?"

"Mmhm." Kitty smirked slightly. _Yeah, right._

"Good. Now, in 1771 Paine married again, but they separated just before he left for America on the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin. He was a deist – I'm not even going to try to explain _that_ to you – and in 1776 he would do all sorts of things. He would publish _The Crisis_, pamphlets so uplifting that General George Washington ordered that they be read to all of his troops. He is credited with suggesting that our country be named the United States of America. And perhaps most importantly, he published a pamphlet entitled _Common Sense_."

_You really should be writing this down,_ rang a voice in her head that sounded much like Jean. Sighing, she reached into her pocket for a pen when she came on something else entirely different.

It was a neatly folded piece of paper. Ordinary paper, really. The kind you'd see in printers.

But she recognized the writing on the outside:

_TO KITTY_

She wasn't really sure what to think of it. Daring, perhaps. Charming, even.

Then again, how the hell had it gotten into her pocket?

"Now, before we even start talking about this pamphlet, let's just give an example of exactly what Paine wrote."

Holmes wrote once more in his blocky handwriting:

_These are the times that try men's souls._

"That would be from _The Crisis_. How do you think it applied to Americans in the Revolutionary War, and even today?"

Things had changed, of course. Everything had changed. Apocalypse, the Brotherhood, the X-Men.

But had they changed enough for this?

For a second there, she had really thought so. While they were in Mexico. When they had come to help. When he had come to save the day.

But now…

Yeah, it was fine to say that everything was all right in the heat of the moment, that everything was forgotten. But nothing was ever really forgotten. It was just stored away until it eventually found its way out.

"Ms. Pryde? Are you paying attention?"

Her head snapped up. "Sorry, Mr. Holmes. I, um, zoned out for a second there."

"Well, do try to pay attention, will you?" He turned back to the board. "Perhaps you can get the information we just went over from one of your neighbors."

She didn't turn to another student, though. Quietly, she unfolded the paper and began to read.

_Kitty,_

_It's me, Lance, if you couldn't tell. And Todd because he's better at grammar and stuff like that than I am._

The lesson was continuing. "Paine says in one part that _'a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.'_ How do you think that applies to today's world? Does it?"

Maybe that's what she had done. Maybe this had all been wrong, been a mistake, and she should realize that now, that she and Lance just couldn't be together. Maybe she had just grown too accustomed to it.

Clearing her head, she glanced down at the paper and continued.

_I bet you've been thinking about this… rethinking it, I mean. It's been so long, and now all of a sudden there's a chance that everything can go back to how it was, and that kind of freaks you out, doesn't it? It freaks me out, too, you know? I start thinking that maybe it was better that we separated…_

"Very good, Wilson. Now, think about this passage here: _'Every thing that is right or natural pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'tis time to part_.'"

She bit her lip and looked back at the paper.

_Maybe we'd be better off on our own. That's what I was thinking. We seemed to be doing all right without each other – or at least you were, I was too busy being the idiot that I am to do anything else. I mean, it wouldn't be wrong if we were apart, as long as we were better that way._

"Excellent again, Wilson!" Holmes scurried to the other side of the board. "Continuing on that theme of separation, Paine also says, _'Wherefore, since nothing but blows will do, for God's sake, let us come to a final separation.'"_

Kitty looked at the teacher. Maybe now was not the best time to be reading this. She needed to pay attention.

But something was drawing her to the letter, and she found herself reading it again.

_If we're just going to fight because you're an X-Geek and I'm in the Brotherhood., then it's probably better that we're not together. I don't think I can deal with all that crap again. I don't think _you_ can deal with all that crap again. If we're going to try to make this work, I can tell you that it sure as hell won't work that way._

She thought of Scott, and his reaction if they were to get together again, and frowned. That would definitely annoy Lance.

"Now, think about what Paine says here: _'O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted round the globe.'"_

She thought about stopping and taking notes, but the letter wasn't much longer. She could finish it.

_It's already bad enough with all the people that don't like mutants. We already have to deal with all this. I can deal with a few geeks that don't like us being together. I can deal with Summers and the elf. I can't deal with all of them. We need to stop all this X-Men and Brotherhood shit. We're stronger when we work together, I think. Even the Professor will tell you that. If one or two of your friends doesn't like it, fine. That's fine. I'll get through that. To hell with them. When it comes down to it, it's our decision, and they can kiss my ass if they don't like it._

Kitty laughed out loud at that line, and Mr. Holmes stopped in the middle of his speech.

"Ms. Pryde? What's so funny?"

"Sorry," she said, hiding the paper with her sleeve. "I didn't mean to. It totally won't happen again. I promise."

"Good." He began writing down something else on the chalkboard. "Paine then says something that eerily sounds like a description of our world. He says,_ 'We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand, and a race of men, perhaps as numerous as all Europe contains, are to receive their portion of freedom from the event of a few months.'"_

She was already reading the letter again.

_Listen, Todd's gone now. I really don't care about grammar or syntax or any of that, and I don't think that you care, either. But I know that right now, we've got a really good opportunity. We can try to start this over… you know, try to make it work again. We've got a chance to fix everything that we messed up. Sorry if I sound like Xavier, but I'm not bullshitting you. I think we can make this work. I've done what I can. Your turn, pretty Kitty._

_Lance_

Kitty ruminated over the content of the letter as she folded it up and placed it back in her pocket. He'd seemed sincere. She knew that Lance was pretty straightforward about how he felt; he wasn't trying to trick her. If he'd said it, he felt that way. That was Lance.

"Well, the bell's about to ring in a few seconds, so pack up your stuff –"

Holmes was interrupted by that very bell, and there was a mad dash for the door. She was nearly knocked over, but she managed to grab her things and make her way out into the hallway.

"Get my note?"

Lance was leaned up against a locker, slight smirk on his face. She could tell that he'd been waiting there for a while.

"Yeah," she said, acting as if it was nothing important. "I did. I read it during history. Mr. Holmes got pretty mad."

He laughed. "I think I'm rubbing off on you." He noticed the look on her face and frowned. "Don't worry about it, Kitty. Even _I _passed Holmes's class."

"You're not stupid," she stated. "Don't act like it's such a big deal."

"It isn't."

"Hm." She began to walk to the cafeteria, but he followed her persistently. "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you'd get arrested if you came up here."

"The security guards liked me. They won't mess with me." Lance ruffled his hair uncomfortably with his hand and sighed. "Kitty, I need an answer. Yes or no."

She stopped outside the cafeteria and turned to him with a smile. "I've got to go to lunch. You'd better go."

"Wait!" he exclaimed, grabbing her as she made to go through the doors. He realized just how tightly he was gripping her and relaxed slightly, although he still looked incredibly anxious. "I need an answer. It's all right if you say no. I just need to know what you think."

Kitty leaned upwards toward him and kissed him very lightly on the lips. He nearly staggered back – he hadn't been expecting _that_.

"There's your answer," she said sweetly. "Now I've got to go –"

"But won't they care?" he asked, breathless. "Your friends?"

She shrugged. "Some of them might. But I think most of them will be okay with it. I think they're starting to like you, really."

"Good God," he muttered as he scuffed at the floor with his foot. "I didn't know I was such a suck-up."

"You're not. They just like you, I think."

"I guess that's all right," he stated. She turned one last time and threw the door open, but his voice stopped her. "Wait, Kitty… why?"

"Why?"

"Why the hell do you want to get back together?" He looked nervous – it was one of the first times that she had seen Lance be unsure of himself.

Kitty grinned at him and stepped into the cafeteria. "I don't know… I guess it's just common sense."


End file.
